Easter Homily

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Today we celebrate the great hope the springs forth throughout the whole world through the reality of the Lord’s Resurrection. In our gospel passage we would seemingly notice nothing out of the ordinary. There were no angels to announce what had taken place, no earthquakes, nor was our Lord present to show Himself alive. Nevertheless we are told, that John “saw and believed.”

What exactly did he see that caused him to believe? If someone would of stolen this body they would of done so in a hurry. They would not of taken the time needed in order take off let alone fold these garments. This gospel is even careful to note that the cloth that covered His head was not with the others cloths, but “rolled up in a separate place.”

Fulton Sheen as well as some Church fathers saw this seeing and believing caused by a shroud that was empty but still draped in the shape of a body. He had not sat up and unwrapped Himself, but passed through the matter of the linens entirely. The Greek text would suggest that these clothes were flat or collapsed for in Jewish burial they would of hardened into a stiff casing. He looked upon a hardened shell that had not been disturbed, but the body was gone.

This account is far different then what takes place with the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus had to be untied by others for He was still a prisoner of death. Jesus is the New Adam and so He was able to pass through these garments. John was able to see the tidiness of this tomb in order to see that sin and death had been reversed by such an act from the Savior of the World.

Therefore this was not a crime scene, but a sanctuary. From this sanctuary a great hope was present for all those who had been touched by sin and death that Christ was alive. That He had truly risen from the dead. This is the same hope that springs forth for us as we come to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord on this Easter Sunday.

Yet, in our modern world we live in an age that demands a photograph, a recording, or a physical touch to validate truth. John’s faith lies in his ability to see that the Resurrection was a physical reality that left its mark on the world. Let us have such faith in our Risen Lord and allow Him to bring us to such solace in the midst of the chaos of this world.

The tomb has been permanently vacated through the Lord’s Resurrection. The stone is gone, the shroud is empty, and the New Adam has gone forth to make all things new. This glimpse brings light unto our life that sin and death cannot destroy. Let us be sent forth from the Lord with such confidence that we too may be like Saint John and see and believe.

Easter Vigil Homily

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! ¡Cristo ha resucitado! ¡En verdad ha resucitado!

Tonight’s liturgy began under absolute darkness. This serves as a reflection of that silence that fell over the world on Holy Saturday. It was here that the death of our Lord had taken place and the stone was rolled into place. Scatted into our own life is such feelings of waiting, uncertainty, and deep loss. Such darkness can lead us into despair.

Nevertheless, a great hope has progressed throughout the whole world. This is symbolized by the Pascal candle which reminds us of the risen Christ. It is He who dispels such darkness from our midst and was seen when this candle entered this church. Let us forever be reminded that no matter what is taking place in us (those dark nights) that the light of Christ always prevails.

This reality was seen throughout our Liturgy of the Word. Despite the brokenness of our humanity we are being reminded that we are being led to the waters of rebirth. Through these waters we come to be buried with Christ in order that we may rise with Him as a new creation. Today we have those among us who will enter into these life giving waters.

As the women at the tomb exclaimed, “He is not here; for he has risen, as he said.” The tomb is now empty and so our life ought to be filled with hope. As we are sent forth from this sacred space we are to carry the light of Christ into our daily life in order that it may dispel the darkness. Death has lost is sting, and Christ is risen indeed.

5th Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

Martha’s heart was filled with grief pertaining to the death of Lazarus. She cried out to the Lord from the depths of such grief, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” In the midst of our own grief we must join with her in the tension that exists between what we have lost and the belief that God has the power to heal us.

Martha does not remain lost in her sorrow. Instead she turns towards the Lord and places her trust in Him, “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” She does not ignore the pain that was present in her life, but faces it be joining it to God. We too in the midst of our own grief cannot ignore what we feel, but must turn towards the Lord in faith.

Jesus’ response to her should bring faith unto our hearts, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Through such a statement Martha is being directed unto Him and the hope of what will spring forth through such an encounter. The Lord continues to join with us in our grief in order that we may move forth infused with the virtue of hope.

The belief that Jesus is the Resurrection is not a rejection of physical death, but the hope that life continues. From the First Preface for the Dead, “Life has changed, but not ended.” Our spirit does not cease with our death and so we as Christians must live as one who is oriented towards such a reality.

As the Lord asks, “Do you believe this?” This is a invitation that is made in order that we may enter into relationship with Him. Faith is not something that is to be passive, but is to be a conscious act of the will. It is a “yes” that allows God’s grace to enter in and transform us into living a life modeled after His.

Martha’s response was “Yes, Lord.” At the Easter Vigil we will have the opportunity to make a renewal of our baptismal vows. Through such a renewal we are not just giving the right answer to the question asked, but are consciously proclaiming our desire to live as one who has been marked for Christ Jesus through the life giving waters of baptism.

And so today we celebrate the third scrutiny with the Elect. Just Jesus commanded the stone to be rolled away from the tomb of Lazarus does He call our elect and too each of us to freed to from the sin and fear that keeps us from the fullness of life. In such a way we freely come to state “Yes, Lord” as we journey towards the Easter sacraments and strive to live as children of God.

Just like Martha we have our own fears, regrets, and sorrows as symbolized by the tomb. Nevertheless, the Lord continues to invite us out of the darkness and into the light of His presence. It is this light that we continue to prepare to behold as we approach Easter and that fact that the darkness of sin and death has been removed from our midst. 

4th Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

Saint Augustine stated, “That blind man is the human race; for this blindness had place in the first man, through sin, from whom we all draw our origin… every man is born mentally blind.”

The act of mixing saliva with dust in order to create clay takes us back to the Book of Genesis. From Genesis we are told, “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”

The Hebrew word Adam is related to adamah, meaning “ground” or “earth.” The Hebrew word used for “formed” is the same used for a potter who shapes clay. We have been deliberately shaped by God, formed in His image. To breathe into one’s nostrils represents the soul given to us by God.

In our Gospel Jesus is forming the blind man’s sight from the earth just as God had formed the first man from the earth. In other words it is being suggested that Jesus is the “New Adam” who uses the elements of creation in order to finish the work of creation in this man as well as us. It was through the Fall that humanity returned to the dust of sin, but Christ is the “New Adam” who has lifted us back up.

As we continue this Lenten journey, we must look ahead toward the Lord and place our trust in Him. It is so easy to set our sights on trivial matters of worldly allure; instead, we must allow Him to lift us up. Through the grace given especially in the sacramental life of the Church, we are formed into true disciples of the Lord.

Wit this in mind today is the second of three Scrutinies for those among us preparing to enter the life-giving waters of Baptism. The anointing you have already received is the beginning of faith—much like the clay applied to the blind man. The washing the blind man underwent represents the baptism you will soon receives which washes away Original Sin. Just as the blind man was given sight, we are enlightened so that we may no longer live in the darkness of sin.

On this Laetare Sunday, let us rejoice in all that the Lord has done for us. We were once blind to the truth of God through sin, but we are constantly being invited to wash away that sin through Christ’s mercy, that we may see the world through the lens of the Gospel. Let this transformation be brought about within us as we continue to prepare the way to celebrate the Easter mysteries.

3rd Sunday of Lent Year A Homily

The Israelites were liberated from their slavery by passing through the Red Sea. Now they were toiling about in the desert and were found not only uncomfortable, but dying. From this plight Moses come before God and he was instructed to “strike the rock.” From this rock flowed water which quenched their thirst.

Saint Paul would state that this “Rock was Christ.” It is for this reason that Christ is able to grant something greater than the simple quenching of thirst. The Lord is able to offer us the gifts of Sanctifying Grace. This gift allows us to participate in the very life of God. Through such an interaction with Him and the gift of the Spirit we move from being a consumer, always thirsty, to finding our fill in His Divine Life.

This transformation is realized within the Sacrament of Baptism. Not only are we being washed within these waters, but we are also being filled. We are sent forth from these waters not as if unchanged, but truly changed in Christ. We are sent forth from His midst living for Him and the joy that proceeds from this relationship.

On this 3rd Sunday of Lent we celebrate the First Scrutiny. Here we join our prayers for those who are now journeying towards the Easter sacraments especially the sacrament of baptism. We pray that any spirit of dryness may be cast out, so that the living water of baptism may flow freely.

We find ourselves like the Israelites who had such thirst. We thirst for so much through our grief, anxiety, and the pursuit of things that do not satisfy. The woman in our Gospel was caught up in such pursuits as she came to the well. Nevertheless, through a true encounter with Christ her thirst was forever quenched.

We too must allow the Lord to quench our thirst as He quenched the thirst of this woman. He sees us in our need and invites us to enter more fully into communion with Him. If we are to undergo such conversion and have our thirst quenched then we must allow Him to heal us of all that holds us captive.

The sacrament of confession heals us in such a way as we turn towards the infinite mercy of God. This Thursday our parish will hold its Lenten Penance Service at 6pm with a total of eight priests assisting with confessions. If you have been away from the sacrament for a long time use this opportunity to be reconciled with God and live.

We must ask ourselves if we are running towards wells which leave us empty (wealth, pleasure, power, honor) or do we turn our sight toward the Lord. It He who invites “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.” What barrier do we continue to put in the way of such fulfillment and are we willing to remove it in order that may finally come to place our trust in the Lord?